Sheffield continues to establish itself as the home of sport after extending its deal to host the largest annual multi-sport event in the country for the next three years.

The British University and Colleges Sport has announced it has extended its deal to host its national championships in the city until 2022 just days after more than 6,000 students finished competing in this year’s event.

17 Feb 2018 ....... Students from across the country take part in a climbing competition at The Climbing Works in Sheffield. The competition is just one event which along with the likes of athletics badminton,fencing and swimming make up the BUCS (British Universites & Colleges Sport) National event which was held at venues throughout the city this weekend (17/18 Feb). Picture Scott Merrylees

Sheffield City Trust, BUCS, Sheffield Council, the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University all signed the extension which means venues across the city will continue to hold events.

Vince Mayne, BUCS chief executive officer, said: “For us, we’re coming home to a really safe pair of hands that helps us to deliver an incredible event for 6,000 students year on year – we’re really happy that we’ll be coming to Sheffield for the next three years.

“Sheffield has a range of facilities and existing partnerships for us, which means we can offer what we want in terms of the sport programme, but we know that the quality of venue is something that really excites the students as well.

Students taking part in the climbing competition of last year's BUCS Nationals at The Climbing Works in Sheffield. Picture: Scott Merrylees

“It means we can deliver the best university sports experience in the world, which is what we’re trying to do.”

The national finals sees sports held at venues including Ponds Forge, the English Institute of Sport and Ice Sheffield.

Coun Mary Lea, Sheffield Council’s cabinet member of culture, parks and sport, said: “This announcement is further evidence of Sheffield’s enviable sporting credentials. This event is always a highlight in our sporting calendar and we are delighted to support it once more.

Ice Sheffield, where some of the events will be held. Picture: Chris Etchells

“With the recent announcement about both the Invictus Games trials and the Rugby World Cup coming to Sheffield, it is clear that our city is in the premier league when it comes to staging memorable and enjoyable sporting successes.”

The announcement comes after Sheffield was ranked 29th greatest sporting city in the country in a survey last year.

But city leaders dismissed it as ‘the biggest piece of fake news they’d heard in a long time’.

Iain McKinney, head of sports services at Sheffield Hallam University ,said: “We are a city of sport and we’ve got world class venues that should be used for events like this, it’s great to see students in them.”

Mr McKinney’s counterpart at The University of Sheffield, director of sport Andy Cox, said: “The work we’re doing at the University of Sheffield is to push sport and get people to understand the true value of it, so having this event in the city really gives us profile – it’s great for volunteering and it’s great for students who want to compete.”

“6,000 students are going to be around Sheffield over those weekends and it’s fantastic to see.”

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